Blister Podcast

We're talking again with Blister reviewer, Paul Forward, the Alaskan heli guide who we spoke with a couple of podcasts back (Ep. 34). This has shaped up to be a very good winter in the Chugach, so Paul has been getting a lot of time in on some fat skis, and I wanted to talk to him about a number of them.TOPICS & TIMES:DPS Lotus 124 Alchemist (3:30)16/17 Blizzard Spur (10:48)New HEAD Kore 117 (22:23)On the trend of pow skis getting narrower (24:44)Liberty Genome (27:55)Salomon QST 118 (29:33)4FRNT Renegade, w/ comparisons to the 4FRNT Raven (35:48) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Magnus Granér is different. Funky. We talk to him about his Real Ski win, SLVSH, The Bunch, growing up in Sweden, attending the real Hogwarts School, skiing on Mars, and more...TOPICS & TIMES:Magnus in Zermatt (1:45)Andorra & SLVSH CUP (3:45)Growing up in Hörnefors, Sweden — and growing up snowboarding (13:10)Playing soccer, "floorball", and husky racing (16:05)Thinking / Not Thinking (19:22)How you got from just starting to ski to where you are right now? (22:31)True Story: Magnus attends the weirdest / coolest school ever (24:45)The Formation of The Bunch (31:15)Creation Nation (33:58)X Games Real Ski — from getting invited to winning the Gold (37:55)Battling fear & scaring yourself vs. making urban more fun & accessible (44:30)Magnus on Henrik Harlaut (48:37)Re: the peanut butter 450 on (54:35)On the closing shot of Magnus’ real ski edit (56:45)LJ Strenio’s crash reel (59:27)The Bunch: How would you describe it? (01:03:00)Dancing (01:07:35)India, Russia, China: the state of skiing internati

What is the least understood but arguably most important piece of ski equipment? Ski boot liners. So we talk to ski boot pioneer, Sven Coomer, about why boot liners don’t receive the attention they deserve, what makes Zipfit liners different, and why Sven believes that liners are the single most important piece of ski equipment.TOPICS & TIMES:Why "Liners" should be called "Inner Boots," and what a good inner boot should do (0:00)Why Sven thinks that liners are the most important piece of equipment (5:00)What is someone failing to understand if they are failing to consider the inner boot? (13:00)Why liners and boots are more complex than skis; Why Zipfit liners don’t pack out (22:50)What is it about the construction of a Zipfit liner that's different? (24:45)What are the top issues / problems that a Zipfit liner might solve? (29:00)Alpine-Touring boots & liners — and the touring inner boot that Sven is working on (39:20)Final thoughts on the difference that the right liner can make (49:30) See acast.co

Paul Forward is a lead heli guide for Chugach Powder Guides in Girdwood, Alaska. He is also a physician who works a lot in the arctic village of Kotzebue, just north of the Arctic Circle. And in addition to that, Paul is one of our senior reviewers here at Blister — as well as being a bow hunter, a fly fisherman, an absolute gear whore, a lover of big missions, a good friend of mine, and (as a lot of people around the world will attest) a really fun person to venture out into the mountains with.In this conversation, we talk about Paul’s background; how he and I met and how he got involved with Blister; the life and logistics of a heli guide; and the new program on advanced wilderness medical care that Paul is starting this spring. And of course, Paul and I talk a bit about some of the new gear that he and I are currently reviewing, including the 4FRNT Devastator, Salomon QST 106, and Volkl 100Eight.TOPICS & TIMES:How Paul and I met, and how he almost killed me (3:20)How he became a Blister reviewer (5:20)

This is a round-table conversation with three custom ski manufacturers about the process of building custom skis, and what “custom” really means. We sat down with Pete Wagner of Wagner Custom Skis, Mark Wallace of Parlor Custom Skis, and Mike McCabe of Folsom Custom Skis, and among other things, we discussed why they each decided to go the custom route; how they each go about the custom process; and what sort of skier might want to consider custom skis.We also talk about Frankenstein skis, why innovations in materials can be overrated, and the really remarkable fact that Wagner, Parlor, and Folsom all offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee.TOPICS & TIMES:Introduction to Wagner Custom Skis (2:25)Introduction to Parlor Custom Skis (3:59)Introduction to Folsom Custom Skis (5:21)What does “Custom” mean, and why go custom? (7:35)How the Folsom process works (8:50)How the Parlor process works (11:20)How the Wagner process works (13:49)Why custom skis aren’t only for great skiers (16:20)How sophisticated is the inp

In this episode, we discuss the most intriguing, the most head scratching, and the most bizarre new products for next season that we saw at the SIA tradeshow. Some of the New Products We Discuss:Scarpa Maestrale; Armada ARV 116; Scott S1 130 AT Boot; Atomic Hawx XTD 130 AT Boot; G3 Sender 112 Touring / 50-50 Ski; Patagonia Descensionist Touring Kit; Patagonia Descensionist Pack; Advances in airbag packs; Polartec Neoshell 2.0; Polartec; Alpha Direct; Metal in Skis; Scott Skis: the new lineup, including the Scrapper 115 and Punisher 105; Nordica’s expanding Enforcer line; Nordica’s women’s skis; Sego Skis — and Blades (!); Fischer Ranger 115; Nordica Enforcer Pro; Fischer RC4 130; K2’s new carvers; Black Crows lineup & their new Vertis. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Warner and I discuss his background; the business of ski racing and ski academies; the thorny issue of sponsorships and athletes skiing on equipment that isn’t a good match for them; and Kitzbuhel.TOPICS & TIMES:Warner’s review of the movie, “Scully” (0:00)Warner’s First Beer League Race (which happened last week); Warner's Early Years + the first race he ever won (9:36)The problem of the “big business” of ski racing academies (20:24)Warner’s college experience (Colby), and his advice for skiers when choosing colleges (23:15)One of Warner’s biggest regrets in life (35:18)Warner’s time on the US Ski Team (36:20); Getting Cut — But Not Quitting; Team Dreamin’ the Life - enter Jon Olsson (43:15)How often are elite racers on equipment they don’t like? Aka, The issue of sponsored skiers being on the wrong equipment (47:25)What’s your best Jon Olsson story? (58:38)The Crown Jewel of Racing: Kitzbuhel / The Streif (01:02:33)Race Approach: going flat out vs. slightly dialing things back to be able to correct (01:

If you spend time outside skiing, biking, camping, hiking, climbing, boating, or running in the mountains, how prepared are you to handle injuries when you are far from medical help? Will you just stand there panicked and helpless? Or will you do things that make the injuries worse?This topic does not get talked about enough. So today, we’re talking with three experienced first responders to help you understand why — for your own personal safety, and for the safety of your friends and family — getting training in wilderness medicine is something you ought to do. There’s a lot of good information in this conversation, so please listen, and let’s all of us commit to increasing our level of knowledge and readiness for our adventures.TOPICS & TIMES:• Quick Christmas Party Story (4:28)• Backgrounds: Mike Thurber, Morgan Matthews, and Justin Bobb (7:05)• What is "Wilderness Medicine"? (13:30)• Huge Factor: wilderness injuries involve *long* evacuation times (16:40)• Three Real-World Emergency Anecdotes (19:40)•

From Bend, we announce the release of a new special-edition Blister Pro, then talk to Blister reviewers David Steele and Andrew Forward about growing up in Alaska; speed flying; Glacier National Park; funny & painful ski touring missions, Super Burrito, and more.TOPICS & TIMES:Meet the new reviewers (2:30)Our take on Bachelor and a recap of the week (4:00)News about the release of a special-edition Blister Pro (7:50)Andrew Forward's story: Growing up in Alaska, why he turned from skiing to snowboarding; etc (10:00)David Steele's story: Growing up in Kalispell, Montana; from mogul skier to park rat to backcountry beast; (16:06)Cy and David's most excellent "adventure" skiing Mt. Olympus, Washington (19:00)David's deep relationship with Glacier National Park (34:45)Andrew's new obsession: Speed Flying (aka, "Kite Running"??) (39:30)David on skiing and climbing and teaching—and why he loves them all (49:00)Super Burrito! (54:50) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We talk to Semi-Rad.com's Brendan Leonard about creativity and the process of creating: How to stop procrastinating and get started; why - or why not - to try something new; and what it takes to keep going.TOPICS & TIMES:The reception of Brendan's book, "60 Meters from Anywhere" — and what it's like to do a 43-stop Book Tour (5:50)Brendan's new book, "Make it Till You Make It" (16:00)On How — and How Not — to Get Started (22:29)The Difference Between Art and Narcissism (24:33)How to Deal with Criticism — and Internet Trolls (25:39)Saying Yes to Things that Terrify You (31:50)On Busy-ness (39:11)Book, Movie, and Music Recommendations from Brendan (47:05)Brendan's foray into filmmaking (56:00) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We stopped by Armada’s headquarters in Park City, Utah, to sit down with Andy Hytjan and Logan Imlach to talk about Armada’s past, present, and future; Armada’s stacked team and how they work with Andy and Logan; how Logan landed a design job in the industry; and we discuss a number of specific skis in the Armada line, including the history of the JJ, the evolution of the Edollo, the Invictus 108, and the new ARV 106.TOPICS & TIMES:How Logan broke into the ski industry & the ski design industry (6:50)The tricky business of setting recommended mount points on skis (14:00)“Symmetrical” park skis — overrated? (25:30)How do you design skis to work for a broad range of customers while also satisfying Armada athletes? (26:40)History of the Armada JJ (29:00)Andy Hytjan’s background (33:30)The evolution of park skis & Armada’s future in park (~36:00)Possible redesign of Henrik Harlaut’s pro model, the Al Dente / Edollo (~39:00)The Armada Invictus 108Ti (44:20)The Armada “ARV” line & particularly the n

We talk to our bike editor, Noah Bodman, right from the showroom floor about the highlights — and lowlights — of Interbike. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We recorded this podcast a few days ago in Canterbury, New Zealand, where we were wrapping up our ski review trip from one of our favorite ski areas in the world, Craigieburn Valley Ski Area. Our four reviewers talk about the skis they've been testing from Kastle, Moment, Salomon, Armada, 4FRNT, K2, and more — which of them surprised us the most, which impressed us most, and which skis we’d most want to add to our quivers this season. We also talk about the Salomon MTN Lab boot vs. the new Tecnica Zero G Pro, and we may or may not also talk about Millennials and Tinder profiles.TOPICS:Gear that surprised you the most?A/B Results: Salomon MTN Lab boot vs. Tecnica Zero G ProA/B Results: Armada ARV 106 vs. K2 MarksmanIf you had to spend the entire upcoming season on one of the skis we brought, which would you pick?Which of the skis we have down here would you most want to add to your regular quiver?Paul Forward offers his take on MillennialsWhich reviewer won the most spectacular crash award on this trip?Tinder

This week marks the Centennial of the National Parks Service. So we headed to Bar Harbor, Maine — right next to Acadia National Park — to talk about the parks with James Kaiser, who has been writing about the parks and spending a whole bunch of his time in them for years. James is the author of best-selling guides to national parks, including exceptional guidebooks to Acadia, Yosemite, Joshua Tree, and Grand Canyon.TOPICS & TIMES:The history of the parks & Abraham Lincoln’s role and their unprecedented nature (3:55)Grand Canyon National Park, and its wild, contested past (5:50)What’s the difference between National Forests, National Parks, and National Monuments? (9:08)What are the biggest problems facing the parks? (16:43)Why do the national parks matter? At their best, what do they do? (24:50)Why do people do such stupid things when they go to national parks? (28:15)How optimistic or pessimistic are you about the future of the parks? (31:30)James’ background, and how he got into creating guide books

On today's podcast, we present a rather quintessential American Success Story that goes by the name of ENVE Composites. If you ride bikes and have a thing for high-quality gear, you already know ENVE. But you almost certainly don’t know the whole story. You’d never guess from the look of things now, but ENVE’s trajectory wasn't exactly a rocket ship, but more of a roller coaster ride with lots of peaks and a number of nerve-wracking valleys.Last week I headed to Ogden, Utah, to visit ENVE’s headquarters and tour their factory, and I then sat down for a conversation with three people who have each have played (and continue to play) an important role in ENVE’s past, present, and future: ENVE’s CEO, Sarah Lehman; ENVE’s chief engineer Kevin Nelson; and ENVE’s product manager, Jake Pantone.TOPICS & TIMES:Our guests introduce themselves, and we discuss the origins and the early days of ENVE (3:25)Sarah on the “Cinderella story” of ENVE, including the dark days, name changes, and the decision to keep manufactur

Luke Jacobson has been Moment's head ski designer, and he is also now Moment's new CEO. We talk to Luke about their new 16/17 lineup (including the new Meridian, the new Bibby Tour, and the redesigned Tallac), and Luke breaks some exclusive news about two other new skis. We also discuss how Moment’s rather unique aesthetic came to be, why Luke thinks that the "Deathwish" isn't the worst name ever for a ski, and more...TOPICS & TIMES:Talk about your new role at Moment, and what you guys are up to now? (1:50)What do you miss about the early days of Moment, and what don’t you miss? (5:55)The 16/17 lineup of skis, starting with the redesigned Tallac (9:55)The new Bibby Tour (13:15)The new Meridian, and how it evolved from the Chipotle Banana (16:25)What’s your current favorite ski in the line? (21:20)Breaking News: Luke announces a new ski (23:50)More Breaking News: Luke announces another new ski, the “Chief Commander” (25:25)Art and the ‘Moment aesthetic’ (32:15)Music - what Luke’s listening to (40:55)Outsid

Xavier de le Rue is a 3-time World Freeride Champion, a 4-time boarder-cross World Champion, and he has pushed the boundaries of big mountain riding so far, it is basically impossible to overstate his significance and influence. (Or his total badassery.) He also happens to be one of the smartest and most reflective skiers or boarders out there.Among other things, Xavier and I talk about his philosophy of life and risk taking; why he thinks that riding faster = riding safer; the current state of the snowboarding industry; some of his former and current film projects; and what’s next for him.TOPICS & TIMES:Where are you currently? (1:59)Snowboarding, Surfing, and Why XV hates traditional Fitness Programs (2:54)XV on risk, death, “progression,” and his film White Noise (5:27)Do you look at the younger version of yourself and think, “The risks I was taking then were stupid”? (13:59)Why Xavier gets nervous before every line he rides (17:25)When things start getting intense, do you get serious, or do you try to

This week's podcast somehow ended up being about topics that begin with the letter 'B' — Noah and I talk about bikes; Brexit; Butte (Montana); Brady (Tom), the best bike movie, bands (Noah’s favorites) ... I could go on. And we even discuss one or two things that don’t start with the second letter of the alphabet, like the new SRAM Eagle 1x12 drivetrain; the current state of bike trails access and advocacy, and whether or not we can expect to see bike trails in wilderness areas, etc.TOPICS & TIMES:How Noah spent the 4th of July (2:50)Why Noah hates Butte, Montana (3:05)Noah enlightens us about Brexit (4:45)Noah tries to explain Trump and Hilary to me (7:00)Noah's top 3 favorite bands (that we're not sure actually exist) (8:02)What Noah learned on Blister's recent bike review trip to Whistler (9:42)Peachios! (10:30)Best way to carry water: Fanny packs vs. water bottles vs. hydration packs vs. bibs (11:25)What's the greatest bike race / bike event in the world (12:35)New bike tech: what trends do I have to

On our last podcast, we talked to Ståle Møller, the co-founder and lead designer of Sweet Protection, about the critically important issue of head injuries, and how helmets can mitigate the risks we take outside. Today's episode can be viewed as Part II of that conversation, and we focus a bit more on The Future and What's Next? To that end, we recruited the senior director of R&D at Giro, Rob Wesson, to further flesh out some of the fundamental issues surrounding head injuries, what sorts of new safety standards we can expect to see in the near future, and how helmet designs will evolve in the coming years.Rob and I cover a lot of important ground in this conversation, and you will find a detailed breakdown of the topics and the specific times at which we cover them in the Show Notes below.TOPICS & TIMES:Rob’s background & what his work at Giro’s R&D Center involves (2:40)What most customers regard as the #1 factor when selecting a helmet (12:18)Which helmet type (road bike, mtn bike, ski, et

These days, most people understand that when we're out skiing, biking, boating, or climbing, it's pretty stupid not to wear a helmet. More than ever before, we are gaining a better understanding of the variety and the devastating consequences of head injuries, ranging from (what we used to call) "mild" concussions, to full-blown "CTE" (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy). But while we can agree that helmets are a good idea, it is pretty alarming how little most of us know beyond that — and that lack of knowledge could prove to be dangerous.Are all helmets pretty much the same, and equally safe? What's up with all those different safety certifications? What should a helmet fit like if it is actually going to protect your head? What are the main things you should you be looking for, and what do you most need to know, before selecting and purchasing a helmet? One thing’s for sure: the time to figure all of this out is not after you’ve had a bad crash.In this episode, we talk to Ståle Møller, the lead designer and